Far Rockaway Residents Blast NYC Over Constant Neighborhood Flooding

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — There was frustration on Tuesday in a Queens neighborhood that’s plagued by flooding. Residents said the city is doing nothing to solve the problem.

It’s so bad, residents called CBS 2 saying the problem is a safety and health hazard and they need help, Tracee Carrasco reported.

It isn’t exactly the waterfront property the residents along Pinson Street in Far Rockaway had in mind and they said the standing pool of water is there, rain or shine.

“There’s nowhere for the water to go. It’s just sitting there even when it’s hot outside,” resident Daralene Scott said.

The murky waters can be covering the sidewalks, making it nearly impossible for residents like Charles Burkhead to get his mail, have his garbage picked up, and even get to his house without driving though at least a foot of water.

“If I didn’t have a car and I had to walk to work, I couldn’t even get out the yard without getting wet,” Burkhead said.

In addition to being an inconvenience, Burkhead said the water is a breeding ground for bugs.

“The mosquitoes are horrible,” Scott said.

While residents said the flooding has been an on-going issue for several years, Hurricane Sandy made it much worse and anytime there’s rain in the forecast it becomes a big problem.

“I think I might have to swim again,” Burkhead said.

Burkhead and his neighbors said they believe the water is overflow from nearby Jamaica Bay, or, even worse, sewer water.

Now fed up, they just want the city to do something.

“I’ve called 311, put in an order for them to come. They do these patch jobs,” Scott said.

“DEP will come out; they’ll pump out the sewer system and then all of the sudden it will be just like it was. For a few days the water will go away and then it will come right back,” Burkhead said.

Councilman Donovan Richards who represents the 31st District said help is on the way in 2015. He said that’s too long to wait.

“Areas that were certainly flooded out during Hurricane Sandy, they need to get priority and these projects need to move now and we can’t wait two more years,” Richards said.